Be Steadfast and Immovable!

Reflection:  As Paul concludes his letter to the Corinthians he gives them this charge,

  

“Therefore be steadfast and immovable always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain.”  1 Corinthians 15:58

Of course Paul always uses “therefore” after declaring something of what God has done.  As my seminary professor taught us “the indicative empowers the imperative”!  What does that mean?  It means whenever Paul moves to application (see Romans 12:1 for another example of this) it is always preceded by what God has done for us in Christ.  In this case the imperative of remaining steadfast and immovable is empowered by the truth of the resurrection. 

Paul gives the argument that we have a natural man that is destined to destruction and a spiritual man that will live forever.  Importantly Paul is not creating a dualism of body and soul, but giving teaching on the resurrection of the body.  Just as Jesus was raised from the dead in bodily form, so we too we inherit a resurrected body.  This goes against a strict dualism where the body is bad and spirit is good that was prevalent in Paul’s time and especially the generation after him.  The fact that Jesus raised from the dead in bodily form gave proof that the body is good and made in God’s image. 

This is the same sense in which Paul says to the Romans, “Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice.”  But the real application of the verse above is that in knowing our bodies are destined for eternal life, what do we do with them while we are here.  Paul says to be “steadfast and immovable” always “abounding in the work of the Lord!”  Meaning while we are here devote ourselves in the body to God’s work here on earth realizing that one day we will be working in heaven. 

There are some who take the stance, well the world is passing away anyways so why not just sit back and wait for the rapture.  This is commonly called “redemption and lift”.  Meaning we have been redeemed let’s just wait for God to lift us up to heaven someday.  The problem with this is that is not what Jesus, Paul and the other apostles have taught us, or what they modeled with their lives.  To the contrary Paul spent his life being poured out as a drink offered so that in his words he could lead a “life worthy of the upward calling of Jesus Christ!” 

Psalm 66:16-20

16 Come and hear, all you who fear God;

    let me tell you what he has done for me.

17 I cried out to him with my mouth;

    his praise was on my tongue.

18 If I had cherished sin in my heart,

    the Lord would not have listened;

19 but God has surely listened

    and has heard my prayer.

20 Praise be to God,

    who has not rejected my prayer

    or withheld his love from me!

Proverbs 13

13 A wise son heeds his father’s instruction,
    but a mocker does not respond to rebukes.

² From the fruit of their lips people enjoy good things,
    but the unfaithful have an appetite for violence.

³ Those who guard their lips preserve their lives,
    but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.

⁴ A sluggard’s appetite is never filled,
    but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.

⁵ The righteous hate what is false,
    but the wicked make themselves a stench
    and bring shame on themselves.

⁶ Righteousness guards the person of integrity,
    but wickedness overthrows the sinner.

⁷ One person pretends to be rich, yet has nothing;
    another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.

⁸ A person’s riches may ransom their life,
    but the poor cannot respond to threatening rebukes.

⁹ The light of the righteous shines brightly,
    but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.

¹⁰ Where there is strife, there is pride,
    but wisdom is found in those who take advice.

¹¹ Dishonest money dwindles away,
    but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.

¹² Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
    but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

¹³ Whoever scorns instruction will pay for it,
    but whoever respects a command is rewarded.

¹⁴ The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,
    turning a person from the snares of death.

¹⁵ Good judgment wins favor,
    but the way of the unfaithful leads to their destruction.

¹⁶ All who are prudent act with knowledge,
    but fools expose their folly.

¹⁷ A wicked messenger falls into trouble,
    but a trustworthy envoy brings healing.

¹⁸ Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame,
    but whoever heeds correction is honored.

¹⁹ A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul,
    but fools detest turning from evil.

²⁰ Walk with the wise and become wise,
    for a companion of fools suffers harm.

²¹ Trouble pursues the sinner,
    but the righteous are rewarded with good things.

²² A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children,
    but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.

²³ An unplowed field produces food for the poor,
    but injustice sweeps it away.

²⁴ Whoever spares the rod hates their children,
    but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.

²⁵ The righteous eat to their hearts’ content,
    but the stomach of the wicked goes hungry.

1 Corinthians 15:42-58

42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. 48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man. 50 I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

55 “Where, O death, is your victory?

    Where, O death, is your sting?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

You gave me room when I was in distress. Be gracious to me, and hear my prayer. Psalm 4:1

Jesus said to Peter, “I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.” Luke 22:32

Jesus, Savior, hear our prayers. You know our earnest desires, our deepest needs, and our unspoken cares. Keep our hearts and minds fixed on you so our faith remains strong. Amen.